The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-24
KILLED BY HER FATHER.
A Beautiful Girl Stabbed to Death
in New York.


Rachel Pittman, aged nineteen years,
pretty little brunette, was stabbed to the
heart by her father, Frank Pittman, New
York iaborer, at their home, on ThursdnS
night She died in short time.
The family consisted of Pittman, his wife,
three daughters, and two sons, and Mrs.
Rachel Codgill, the widowed mother of Mrs.
Pittman.
Rachel was the Oldest daughter and the
beauty of the family. She was girl of i'll
telligence as well as of independent spirit.
Her father often quarreled with her on &C
count of her attempts to raise herself, as
he said, above the level of the family.
The three girls worked in a paper bag fac
tory. Three months ago Rachel made the
acquaintance of Franklin Lewis, a young
man employed rs a driver for manu-
has been paying attention to the girl,
and they were betrothed. Pittlnan was op-
posed to the union, not that he objected to
Lewis, but on general principles. He said
that none of his girls should get married
while he lived
On the morning of July %, when Rachel
left home to 60 to work, her father asked
her where she was going. She told him,
and he retorted by telling her she lied and
said she was not, though she would 60 there
if she desired. He swore that he would
follow her, and then the girl, instead OF going
to work, went back to the house. Her father
beat her cruelty that day, and Rachel packed
up her clothing and left the house, telling
her parents that she would never return
home.
Rachel went to Miss Rebecca Fream, who
had been Rachel's Sunday-school teacher at
the Rivington Street Methodist Church and
had known the girl from childhood. She
gladly gave the young woman shelter, and
Rachel lived there until Thursday night.
Her sister Sadie was making dress for her,
md Rachel went to her Old home to try it
on. She was accompanied by Lewis.
They entered about nine O'Clock and met
Pittman, who appeared to have been drink
couple roughly, and asked Rachel if
she intended to come home to live
The girl replied firmly that she
would not Then turning to Lewis,
Pittman said "What do you think of girl
who leaves her father and mother to go with
strangerss" Lewis said that he did not want
to interfere in their family difficulties.
To avoid further talk with her father
Rachel walked into the back room, where her
mother. grandmother and sister Sadie were.
Pittman remained in the front room for
about ten MIXTURES conversing with Lewis,
and then he, too, went into the back room.
Rachel had taken off her waist and was
about to try on the dress when her father
entered He told his wife to get him some
ice water, and while she was doing it
he renewed the quarrel with the
daughter Suddenly 5y he ev+s sprang aROn
be held in his right hand. The
girl threw up her left arm to
ward off the blows, and received two wounds
on her left arm. Her grandmother ran in
between the father and daughter, and re-
ceived one Of the blows on her left wrist,
which was cut severely. Then the father
struck again, and this time the weapon pene-
trated the girls breast just over the b art.
Lewis had heard the g;rl scream and ran to
her assistance. AS he reached the hallway
dividing the rooms Rachel run out of the
back room Her father was following her
and Lewis caught and held him.
"Dont kill the girl he said. :.
"Oh, l won't hurt, Pittman replied.
Then Mrs Pittman screamed: 'Rachol is
deadr' Lewis released Pittman, and the lat
ter walked to the window and threw some
thing out Lewis ran into the hallway and
found Rachel lying unconscious on the floor.
He raised her in his arms and carried her into
the hack room.
Meanwhile the screams of the women had
attracted a policeman'S attention At the
door the officer met Pittman VINO was going
out. :.
"What have you done!" queried the police
man.
"Sometkhg that am sorry for" answered
Pittman.
The officer put him under arrest and took
him to the station house at Delaney and
Attorney streets On the way there Pittnan
admitted that he had stabbed his daughter,
but said he was so beside himself with anger
that he didn't know what he was about. AT
the station he denied that he had made any
such admission, and refused to make seaoe-
ment.
An ambulance was sent from Gouverneur
Hospital. The girl was still alive when it ar
rived, but died son after. The house
was searched for the weapon but none
could be found. An hour after the
murder a lad found in the street
in front of the house the steel shank of a pair
OF compasses about four inches hong and WITH
a sharp point This is supposed to have been
the weapon Pittman used. 1t had been used
in the house for breaking ice.